Health Committee on March 11th, 2021

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

But the Americans are all going to be vaccinated by May 1, so it's kind of—

[Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh]

That's because they have—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

They have supply, right?

[Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh]

They have supply.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

We don't.

We're at the heart of this here. We are, to use the chief science officer's words, conducting a population-based experiment on a non-data-driven dosing interval because we failed on procurement.

Is that a correct characterization?

[Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh]

I can't tell you how procurement works. It's not my—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

We don't have the supply, so we've been forced into this corner because we don't have the supply.

[Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh]

I think that given the scarcity of vaccines, you have to make the best decision given what you have.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

It just blows my mind. I know it's not your fault. I get the situation you're in, and it must be hard.

[Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh]

I can't say it's easy, no.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

On that, I think you and I share something, because I get calls in my office from people who say, “What should I do? Should I take the AstraZeneca vaccine? Should my mom take the AstraZeneca vaccine?” Obviously I can't say one way or the other; I have to rely on advice. I have you guys saying one thing and Ms. Elmslie saying that everything's changing every day, and I feel as though this lack of a protocol and lack of supply are leading to confusion in the Canadian public. It's really hard.

Perhaps I'll go to Dr. Njoo.

Has the minister given you any direction to develop a better communication protocol, given the debacle on the conflicting advice and balkanization of provincial guidelines on dosing and availability?

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

Thank you very much for the question.

If I understand your question, no, the minister has not given me any personal direction in terms of communication. I think it's fairly clear—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Do you think it's necessary, though? This seems like a bit of a cluster in the public. Do you think that perhaps a better communications protocol is needed at this point?

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

I think in the general area of risk communications, we could always do better. I think even I personally—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

What would you do better? What would you say to the person who is really confused right now and is listening to this testimony saying we're going way off label on dosing interval because we don't have adequate supply?

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

I would say, go to your trusted health care professional because—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Who is that here? Is it you? Is it NACI?

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

No, it's the family doctor of the person—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Where does the family doctor—

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

—who would actually administer the vaccine.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

So now it's doctors.

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

The decision would obviously rest with the programs in the provinces and territories that made the decision in terms of the population level—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

It feels like everybody is pointing at each other.

[Dr. Howard Njoo]

It comes down to the individual health care professionals and the patients.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

So it's not the doctors. It's not PHAC.